This is a stretch 'cause it's too geeky for a marketing weenie. But if his name is Ash, and Ash is an n900, then it could be a reference to the fact that this isn't a smartphone, it's a mobile computer. Ash (or is it Dash) is the default shell. And only a mobile computer would provide local shell access with it's default functionality.

Also, Ash was the name of the secret android in Alien. And we all know how that turned out.